600x can't boot past 163 / 173 error

[mike349]

I'm trying to boot up my old 600x. I get a 163 and 173 error. I press ok and get to a time date screen, which is correct. I press ok, there's 2 beeps and the computer stays on the the time/date setting screen. All key presses are ignored, and after pressing several the computer just beeps when I press keys. Ctrl-alt-del results in a reboot, and I'm back where I started again. Pressing F1 while powering up makes no difference. I can't get past there error messages. I have read that would should be able to get past them and boot up.

(I need to use the 600x to burn a Kaspercy (spelling?) rescue bootup disk, as my main computer has got an extremely nasty fake ICE CYber Crime Virus that has me locked out. I cannot boot to safe mode / command prompt to do a system restore (recommended fix #1), and a USB boot with Hitmanpro doesn't work, as it required internet after bootup, but for some reason it's not connecting - I can't see the windows screen to see why. The Kaspercy (SP?) disk is the final recommended option, but I need my 600x to boot to burn the CD. I'm now going to see if there's a way to put the Kaspercy resuce CD on my USB drive.)

[ajkula66]

Replace the CMOS battery and report back.

[mike349]

As I understand it you are supposed to be able to operate a 600x without a CMOS battery. Also, this computer had the correct date/time when I first turned it on (for the first time in many months.)

It would take a week to have a new battery mailed to me, and I'd like to burn a CD with this computer so I can fix my other computer today.

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Update - new things I've tried.

Pressing F1 while powering up has no effect.

I unplugged the HDD to see if that makes a difference, and it acts exactly the same. I plugged the HDD into an exteranal USB HDD adapter and opened it with another computer. The drive is okay, and the partition is active (bootable).

I unplugged the CMOS battery and turned it on. Now I get a 161 and 163 error. I set the time and date, and reboot, and I'm back to the 163 and 173 errors. I tried holding in the BIOS reset button by the power button. I'm out of ideas.

The laptop just remains on the time/date setting screen after I press okay - two beeps, then I'm locked out, except that Ctrl-Alt-Del does a reboot.

[ilakast]

The same problems as in here: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6744

Probably your mobo is problematic...

[mike349]

I just soldered up a new CR2032 from the dollar store. No change. When I unplug it, take out the main battery for a minute, put it back in, power on, the computer remembers the date. 163 / 173 remain, and I can't get past it. I'm afraid this old guy is toast. I'll keep the hard drive... and the DVD burner - although it won't fit in my T41.

[rkawakami]

I unplugged the HDD to see if that makes a difference, and it acts exactly the same.

I'd also try pulling out the MiniPCI card. I've seen weird things happen when that card goes bad. Mainly it's either a "no power up" issue or Windows hangs in the middle of an install.